Josh Tongue and Dillon Pennington have both signed for Nottinghamshire on three-year deals, and will leave Worcestershire at the end of the 2023 season.
Tongue, who featured in the second Test against Australia at Lord’s last week, after claiming a five-for on the same ground during his England debut against Ireland, now has 172 first-class wickets at an average of 26.02.
“When I found out Notts were interested, I was delighted,” Tongue said. “From what I see and hear, it is a really well-run club which places a big emphasis on player progress, which is what I want right now.
“I’ve worked a little bit before with Kevin Shine, and he is a big reason for joining, as I know he’ll help me to kick on. He and Pete have made it clear that they see me getting better here, which is nice to hear.
“The Notts squad is also full of international experience and I am looking forward to watching and learning from these players in practice as well as in games.
“Whilst I have had a bit of success recently which is really rewarding, I still want to keep improving and developing to be the best player I can be.
“I know that’ll take hard work, but the prospect of taking my cricket to the next level is something I really embrace.”
Pennington, meanwhile was Worcestershire’s leading wicket-taker in the LV=Insurance County Championship last season, with 44 scalps from 12 appearances. He now has 119 first-class wickets, plus a further 52 in the T20 format.
“I’m really excited for this move,” Pennington said. “I’ve thought at length about how best to develop as a cricketer to achieve the ambitions I have in the game, and coming to Notts felt like the best way for me to do that at this point in my career.
“It is a brilliant set-up, with a strong squad who I will benefit from playing alongside. Both learning from the quality in the bowling group and practicing against some of the best batters in the country will stand me in good stead.
“The opportunity to work with the coaching team here also stood out as a big factor, particularly Kevin Shine.
“With what he has done so far at Notts and the people he has worked with throughout his career, I am really looking forward to the chance to spend some time with him over the winter and into the season.
“I know the move is a challenging one, but that’ll keep pushing me to keep getting better and better, and that’s ultimately the reason for the move.”
Between them, the pair have over 380 wickets across 180 games in all formats at the senior professional level.
“Dillon and Josh are already highly skilled bowlers though it is their potential to improve further that really excites us” Peter Moores said.
“Dillon is someone who is still early in his career yet has already gained extensive experience in both the red and white-ball formats of the game and his ceiling is extremely high.
“Likewise, Josh has taken the international game by storm in the last few months, overcoming various setbacks early in his career to enjoy his current success.
“That shows real character and determination on his behalf, which are traits all players need if they are going to become the best they can be.
“It’s a huge compliment that both players see us as the best place to continue their development and I know how excited our bowling coach Kevin Shine is about getting stuck in and working with both of them in the future.
“We take great pride in helping all our players maximise their potential, so that they are in the best position to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them across the game.
“We know we already have a strong group of seamers though this season more than ever has shown the need for depth in our bowling resources.
“The schedule can be brutal for bowlers at different times and the ability to keep players fresh is key to staying competitive in all competitions.”
Both players will join Notts when their existing contracts expire at the end of October.
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